(CNN) -- FIFA has moved quickly to deny claims its president, Sepp Blatter, suggested Qatar is unfit to host the 2022 World Cup -- despite his admission that it was "a mistake" to schedule a summer tournament in the Gulf State.

Blatter, who oversees the game's global governing body, appeared to cast doubt over Qatar's right to welcome the football world, following an interview with a Swiss television station Friday.

When asked by RTS if it was an error to award Qatar the World Cup, Blatter said: "Of course, it was a mistake. You know, one makes a lot of mistakes in life.

Sepp Blatter, the president of world football's governing body FIFA, announced that a redacted version of the report into the alleged wrongdoing surroiunding the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups would be published.

A published report claims UEFA president Michel Platini was gifted a Picasso painting in return for support for the Russia 2018 World Cup bid. Platini strenuously denies the allegation.

Russia and Qatar, the hosts of the two World Cups, have been cleared of allegations of corruption by FIFA. Russia, the 2018 host and Qatar, which will host the tournament in 2022, were absolved of wrongdoing.

Michael Garcia (left) handed his report on the bidding process for the 2018 / 2022 World Cups to the FIFA Ethics Committee. Garcia has also called for the findings of his report to be made public.

FIFA has been plagued by a series of problems and controversies since Russia and Qatar was awarded the right to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The announcement by FIFA in 2010 that Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup finals has brought greater exposure for the tiny emirate.

It has also placed world governing body FIFA under pressure as to just when the tournament will be held. The organization's secretary general Jerome Valcke says he expects the 2022 World Cup to be played between November and January.

It's not just when the 2022 World Cup will be played that has caused Qatar and FIFA problems. Qatar has come under pressure over the plight of the country's migrant workers, who make up 90 per cent of Qatar's population.

This has been been highlighted by the International Trade Union Confederation, which has criticized Qatar's system of sponsorship which ties workers to employers and has been abused in the past. The ITUC also point to the high number of worker deaths and the conditions that many find themselves in. Temperatures on building sites in the summer months can hit 50 degree Celcius.

Qatar's ambitious plans for the 2022 World Cup include building brand new, state of the art stadiums that would rival any in the world.

But costs have spiraled and the technology has yet to be successfully deployed in full.

But the new allegations by the Sunday Times could, if proven, see the vote for the 2022 final rerun, making questions about timing irrelevant.

The Sunday Times report also claims Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) allegedly won the covert support of FIFA President Sepp Blatter (R) to enhance the claims of the Russia 2018 bid.

Decision made

'Picasso gift'

Qatar and Russia cleared

2022 World Cup

2022 controversy continues

World Cup heat

Off message?

Workers' rights

Rage against machine

Back to the future

Island in the sun

Waiting game

Putin role highlighted

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2022 World Cup in Qatar

FIFA president Sepp Blatter's 2011 remarks on racism in football -- that on-pitch abuse can be solved with a handshake -- were just one of a series of controversial quotes to be attributed to the head of world soccer.

In 2004, Blatter -- seen here with Brazil star Marta -- angered female footballers with his suggestion for how the women's game could be made more appealing. "They could, for example, have tighter shorts," said the Swiss. "Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball."

In 2010, when England captain John Terry, who is married, was reported to have slept with the partner of his former Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge, Blatter responded: "If this had happened in, let's say, Latin countries then I think he would have been applauded."

In 2008 Blatter was ridiculed after defending the desire of Manchester United's highly-paid star Cristiano Ronaldo to join Real Madrid. He said: "I think in football there's too much modern slavery in transferring players or buying players here and there, and putting them somewhere." In 2013 he had to apologize to Ronaldo after a bizarre impersonation of the Madrid star.

Blatter performed a U-turn on the use of goal-line technology and apologized to the English Football Association after an incorrect decision during the 2010 World Cup. Despite replays showing a shot from England's Frank Lampard had clearly crossed the line in the last-16 clash with Germany, the goal was not awarded.

Blatter had earlier refused to take action when Thierry Henry's blatant handball denied the Republic of Ireland a place at the 2010 World Cup finals. Even the France striker admitted the fairest solution was to replay the playoff match.

In December 2010, Blatter was heavily criticized for suggesting gay football fans should "refrain from sexual activity" if they wished to attend the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. Blatter later apologized and said it had not been his intention to offend or discriminate.

Blatter clashed with fellow members of FIFA's executive committee when he suggested the 2022 FIFA World Cup could be played in January to avoid high temperatures in Qatar. He said the move would "protect the players and also the spectators." Qatar flatly rejected Blatter's suggestion at the time, but FIFA is now reviewing whether to adopt it.

In December 2010 Blatter insisted that FIFA was "not corrupt ... there are no rotten eggs" despite two of his executive committee members -- Amos Adamu, pictured, and Reynald Temarii -- being suspended for accepting bribes in the lead-up to the vote for awarding hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. He called England "bad losers" after losing out to Russia.

Blatter stood unopposed for re-election in July after his former ally Mohamed bin Hammam quit the race days before the ballot after being accused of offering cash for votes. The Qatari, a top FIFA official, has been banned from football.

Blatter faced a criminal investigation after winning the 2002 FIFA presidential election, being accused of financial mismanagement by 11 former members of the ruling body's executive committee, including his 1998 election rival Lennart Johansson, right. However, prosecutors dropped the case due to a lack of evidence.

In January 2013, AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng led his team off the pitch after being subjected to racist chanting. His actions were hailed across the world. But Blatter was more cautious about the issue, refusing to support the move. "I don't think you can run away, because eventually you can run away if you lose a match," he said in an interview with a newspaper in the UAE. "This issue is a very touchy subject, but I repeat there is zero tolerance of racism in the stadium; we have to go against that." Others, like AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi, have disagreed with him. "I am of the opposite view (to Blatter)," said Berlusconi. "I thanked and congratulated my players for their decision to leave the field."

A controversial leader

Tighter shorts for women?

Applauding infidelity

Football slavery?

Goal-line technology U-turn

Excusez-moi?

"Refrain from sexual activity"

Winter World Cup?

Rotten eggs?

Best of enemies?

Charges dropped

We need to talk about Kevin

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Blatter: A controversial leader

"The technical report indicated clearly that it was too hot in summer, but despite that the executive committee decided, with quite a big majority, that the tournament would be in Qatar."

In October 2013, Blatter set up an executive committee taskforce to examine whether the World Cup in Qatar should be switched to winter because of extreme summer temperatures.

A decision is expected to be made following the conclusion of the upcoming World Cup in Brazil.

Blatter's comments sparked a frenzy on social media and led to criticism of the 78-year-old and the organization's decision to award the tournament to Qatar.

But speaking to CNN, a FIFA spokesman said: "The comment by the FIFA President concerning the organization of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar to Swiss TV station RTS is in line with previous comments on this matter.

Blatter admits it was a mistake to award WC to @Qatar in '22 as it's too hot in summer. You have one decision to make every 4 years! HELP!!

" As explained in his answer to the journalist, the president reiterated that the decision to organize the World Cup in summer was an 'error' based on the technical assessment report of the bid, which had highlighted the extremely hot temperatures in summer in Qatar.

"At no stage did he question Qatar as the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup."

Harold Mayne-Nicholls led the FIFA inspection team which examined each of the bidding countries for the 2022 World Cup before delivering his report in October 2010.

Mayne-Nicholls concluded that Qatar was a high-risk option because of its soaring temperatures -- but it was still chosen by 14 of the 22 executive committee members in the final round of voting in December that year.

"It's not for the players. The players will be OK with the cooling system but what about the fans?

"You'll have 50,000 fans walking three, four, even six blocks or more like in South Africa where I walked 10 blocks.

"They will be walking in 40 degrees and it's too much. One or two crucial cases will damage the entire image of the World Cup and we must be careful."

If the World Cup was to be held between November and January, it would probably create a logistical headache for many major European leagues -- such as the English Premier League -- and for the prestigious Champions League, organized by the continent's UEFA confederation.

American broadcaster Fox, which paid $425 million for the rights to broadcast the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, has expressed concern that a "winter" World Cup could clash with the National Football League's regular season and the Super Bowl.

The decision to award Qatar football's showpiece event has drawn widespread condemnation and focused attention on workers' rights in the state.

Imagine the shock at FIFA HQ when, 2 years after the vote, someone spotted that Qatar's a tad warm in summer.

A report released by Amnesty International last November alleged that the abuse of migrant workers was rife within Qatar's construction sector, while British newspaper The Guardian likened the conditions for such workers to "modern-day slavery."